EDC tour offers insight on condition of vacant buildings

Steve Googe, executive director of Davidson County Economic Development Commission, leads members of the Davidson County Board of Commissioners, Lexington City Council, Thomasville City Council and the Economic Development Commission to different vacant industrial buildings around Davidson County on Thursday.

Published: Thursday, July 11, 2013 at 7:04 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, July 11, 2013 at 7:04 p.m.

Elected officials spent Thursday morning maneuvering rain-soaked floors, broken glass and mold-infested walls to assess the conditions of buildings for sale or lease throughout the county.

Members of the Davidson County Board of Commissioners and Lexington and Thomasville city councils took an inventory tour hosted by the Davidson County Economic Development Commission of locations available for prospective companies interested in moving to Davidson County.

Steve Googe, executive director of the EDC, said the tour was a chance to answer many of the questions that officials have had about why more empty buildings were not being used to recruit new businesses. It also offered him an opportunity to highlight the necessity of building a proposed industrial park off Interstate 85 in Linwood versus using existing buildings in the county.

“This is a good way to show government officials the quality of the type of product that we have to sell,” Googe said. “There is a perception that there are buildings just sitting empty and are ready to go, but that is not the case. Many of them need major repair or are being leased and are not available immediately.”

Davidson County commissioners voted in May to move forward with a planned industrial park project near Belmont Road in Linwood. The commissioners have debated the necessity of the project since they were asked to commit $10 million toward the repayment of loans and development costs at the site earlier this year. The EDC's plan is to develop about 1,100 acres of property in Linwood in three phases.

A chartered bus took officials and EDC board members to several locations where they were allowed to go inside vacant buildings and see the conditions that prevented many companies from coming to Davidson County.

Fred McClure, chairman of the Davidson County Board of Commissioners, said that the goal of the tour was to answer the questions about why companies have opted not to use the vacant buildings.

“We have to have a product to market,” he said. “This lets us look at what we have to work with and see what the issues are that prevent businesses from being interested in coming to Davidson County.”

Lexington City Council member Frank Callicutt said it was beneficial to see firsthand the conditions of the existing buildings.

“It's good to see what we are up against,” he said. “Lexington just doesn't have a lot of square footage available, and warehouses are not putting people to work.”

One of the main issues highlighted during the tour was the cost involved in refurbishing existing structures to meet the specifications of prospective industries. Googe said many companies have strict guidelines concerning ceiling height, floor pad depth, office space versus work space and access to transportation corridors. Many of the buildings toured were between 20 and 40 years old and do not meet the needs of businesses. He also said there were many residual problems from previous owners that hindered interest in some buildings.

“There was a lot of furniture and textile companies in this area that created environmental issues,” he said. “Many people just used the building until they didn't need it anymore, and the cost to clean it up exceeds the price people are willing to pay.”

Thomasville Mayor Joe Bennett said it was a very informative tour.

“We need to stay competitive with other states, and we need a quality product,” he said. “Many of these buildings are in need of extensive repair.”

Another issue was the prices that owners are setting to lease or buy a space. An example is the building owned by D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co. at 107 S. Urban St. in Thomasville. Where most companies are leasing their space at approximately $2 a square foot, the company is asking $6.15 a square foot.

Other buildings, like the old Porcelanite Tile Factory at 20 Victor St. in Lexington, have fallen into such disrepair that it isn't worth showing the location to prospective companies. The 173,000-square-foot building was strewn with standing water, bird feces and broken glass.

“It is the biggest location we have available in Lexington, but you can't bring a client in here,” Googe said. “It has major environmental issues, and the owner has not put any money whatsoever into keeping it up.”

The tour included 11 properties of various ages, prices and levels of disrepair. Googe said the EDC wanted officials to see for themselves the condition of these buildings.

“A lot of the process is wrapped around perception,” he said. “Sometimes people just see a building, and it doesn't resonate with them what is there. This tour lets them see exactly what we have to offer.”

Sharon Myers can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 228 or at sharon.myers@the-dispatch.com.

<p>Elected officials spent Thursday morning maneuvering rain-soaked floors, broken glass and mold-infested walls to assess the conditions of buildings for sale or lease throughout the county.</p><p>Members of the Davidson County Board of Commissioners and Lexington and Thomasville city councils took an inventory tour hosted by the Davidson County Economic Development Commission of locations available for prospective companies interested in moving to Davidson County.</p><p>Steve Googe, executive director of the EDC, said the tour was a chance to answer many of the questions that officials have had about why more empty buildings were not being used to recruit new businesses. It also offered him an opportunity to highlight the necessity of building a proposed industrial park off Interstate 85 in Linwood versus using existing buildings in the county. </p><p>“This is a good way to show government officials the quality of the type of product that we have to sell,” Googe said. “There is a perception that there are buildings just sitting empty and are ready to go, but that is not the case. Many of them need major repair or are being leased and are not available immediately.”</p><p>Davidson County commissioners voted in May to move forward with a planned industrial park project near Belmont Road in Linwood. The commissioners have debated the necessity of the project since they were asked to commit $10 million toward the repayment of loans and development costs at the site earlier this year. The EDC's plan is to develop about 1,100 acres of property in Linwood in three phases.</p><p>A chartered bus took officials and EDC board members to several locations where they were allowed to go inside vacant buildings and see the conditions that prevented many companies from coming to Davidson County.</p><p>Fred McClure, chairman of the Davidson County Board of Commissioners, said that the goal of the tour was to answer the questions about why companies have opted not to use the vacant buildings.</p><p>“We have to have a product to market,” he said. “This lets us look at what we have to work with and see what the issues are that prevent businesses from being interested in coming to Davidson County.”</p><p>Lexington City Council member Frank Callicutt said it was beneficial to see firsthand the conditions of the existing buildings.</p><p>“It's good to see what we are up against,” he said. “Lexington just doesn't have a lot of square footage available, and warehouses are not putting people to work.”</p><p>One of the main issues highlighted during the tour was the cost involved in refurbishing existing structures to meet the specifications of prospective industries. Googe said many companies have strict guidelines concerning ceiling height, floor pad depth, office space versus work space and access to transportation corridors. Many of the buildings toured were between 20 and 40 years old and do not meet the needs of businesses. He also said there were many residual problems from previous owners that hindered interest in some buildings.</p><p>“There was a lot of furniture and textile companies in this area that created environmental issues,” he said. “Many people just used the building until they didn't need it anymore, and the cost to clean it up exceeds the price people are willing to pay.”</p><p>Thomasville Mayor Joe Bennett said it was a very informative tour.</p><p>“We need to stay competitive with other states, and we need a quality product,” he said. “Many of these buildings are in need of extensive repair.”</p><p>Another issue was the prices that owners are setting to lease or buy a space. An example is the building owned by D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co. at 107 S. Urban St. in Thomasville. Where most companies are leasing their space at approximately $2 a square foot, the company is asking $6.15 a square foot. </p><p>Other buildings, like the old Porcelanite Tile Factory at 20 Victor St. in Lexington, have fallen into such disrepair that it isn't worth showing the location to prospective companies. The 173,000-square-foot building was strewn with standing water, bird feces and broken glass.</p><p>“It is the biggest location we have available in Lexington, but you can't bring a client in here,” Googe said. “It has major environmental issues, and the owner has not put any money whatsoever into keeping it up.”</p><p>The tour included 11 properties of various ages, prices and levels of disrepair. Googe said the EDC wanted officials to see for themselves the condition of these buildings.</p><p>“A lot of the process is wrapped around perception,” he said. “Sometimes people just see a building, and it doesn't resonate with them what is there. This tour lets them see exactly what we have to offer.”</p><p>Sharon Myers can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 228 or at sharon.myers@the-dispatch.com.</p>